Palm Beach PD Chief Letter to State Attorney

LETTER FROM PALM BEACH POLICE CHIEF TO STATE ATTORNEY From: Michael Reiter, Chief of Police, Palm Beach Police Department To: Barry Krischer, State Attorney, 15th Judicial Circuit (Palm Beach County) Chief Reiter wrote to State Attorney Krischer expressing the Police Department's concerns about the handling of the Epstein investigation by the State Attorney's Office. KEY POINTS: - Palm Beach PD had identified multiple victims and built a strong case - The State Attorney's Office was pursuing only a single misdemeanor charge - Chief Reiter believed the evidence supported multiple felony charges - The letter requested that Krischer recuse himself from the case - Chief Reiter subsequently referred the case directly to the FBI CONTEXT: The Palm Beach Police Department's 2005-2006 investigation had identified approximately 40 victims and gathered substantial physical and testimonial evidence. Despite this, State Attorney Krischer initially pursued only a single charge of solicitation of prostitution. Chief Reiter's decision to bypass the State Attorney and refer the case to federal authorities was unusual and reflected the depth of his frustration with the local prosecution. This referral ultimately led to the federal investigation that produced the controversial 2007 Non-Prosecution Agreement. Source: Court records / News reports Available at: https://www.justice.gov/epstein